The Story Behind Grace Natalie and Ade Armando Being Reported to Police Over JK Video
The secretary of the PSI Council, Grace Natalie, former PSI cadre Ade Armando, and content creator Permadi Arya alias Abu Janda were reported to the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency on Monday (4/5). The report was filed by at least 40 Islamic mass organisations united under the Alliance for Religious Harmony.
Representative of LBH Syarikat Islam/SEMMI, Gurun Arisastra, stated that the reporting was related to the polemic narratives accompanying the posts by each of the reported individuals regarding a clip from a sermon by the 10th and 12th Vice President, Jusuf Kalla (JK), at the UGM Mosque.
JK’s speech at the time explained the conflicts in Poso and Ambon as reflections or lessons on the importance of maintaining religious harmony among the people.
“LBH Serikat Mahasiswa Muslimin Indonesia and LBH Syarikat Islam along with LBH Muhammadiyah, Hidayatullah, AFKN and other organisations have reported three figures: Ade Armando, then Permadi Arya, and also Grace Natalie,” said Gurun Arisastra to reporters at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, South Jakarta, on Monday.
The report was received and registered under number LP/B/185/V/2026/SPKT/Bareskrim Polri dated 4 May 2026.
Gurun explained that the report was made regarding Ade Armando’s post about a video clip of JK’s sermon on Cokro TV on 9 April 2026.
The video showed a clip of JK’s speech about the Poso and Ambon conflicts.
In the video moderated by two hosts, Ade Armando complained or protested against the content of JK’s speech. He regretted JK’s statement regarding the notion of martyrdom for Muslims or Christians during times of war.
Gurun stated that videos containing comments on JK were also made by Permadi Arya on his social media on 12 April 2026 and by Grace Natalie who posted on her social media on 13 April 2026.
“There are narratives that were built where there is an incomplete video presented to the public, namely a video clip, and narratives were constructed that lead to perspectives or conclusions that are not complete in society,” he said.
As a result of the report, Ade announced his resignation as a PSI politician effective Tuesday (5/5). Ade said this step was taken because he did not want his legal case to impact the party.
Personally, Ade admitted that his legal cases are not new. However, the attack on PSI this time can no longer be tolerated. Even, the case was indirectly said to potentially involve the seventh President, Joko Widodo.
Ade also stated that he would not mind being brought together with JK to discuss the case, including apologising to Muslims and Christians over the blasphemy allegations.
“If I am brought together with Mr JK, I would like that too. Or if I have to apologise to the Muslim community, for example, or the Christian community, I am willing, but I will say that I never incited discord, I never insulted religion. But it keeps being repeated,” he said.
Ade had previously denied editing JK’s speech video. “I did not cut, I did not edit, I only discussed what was circulating at the time. And what was circulating then was also not an edit. It was just that part was cut. A fraction of it, maybe around 2-3 minutes, that’s what we commented on,” Ade said in a podcast.
On the other hand, PSI’s Daily Chairman Ahmad Ali emphasised that the party would not provide legal assistance to Grace after she was reported in the incitement and hate speech case at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency.
Ali emphasised that Grace’s actions or statements in the case were outside the party’s duties, alias personal motives.
“So institutionally, we assure that we will not provide legal assistance institutionally from the party because these are things that must be accounted for personally,” said Ali at the PSI DPP office, Tuesday.